Tarsem directed via RadicalMedia this moving Toyota spot, titled “Upstream,” which centers on the journey of paralympian Jessica Long, a Team Toyota athlete.
Created by Saatchi & Saatchi in partnership with Dentsu, the :60, which broke during the Super Bowl telecast, features Long swimming through milestone scenes over the course of her life, starting with a depiction of the Russian orphanage from which she was adopted. The camera then cuts to her parents (played by actors) receiving the emotional call that they would be adopting a baby girl, but with the news that her legs would need to be amputated due to a rare condition. The scenes following show a young swimmer depicting Jessica, hands on hips ready to compete, knowing she’s different from other children, yet remaining resilient. The spot continues with Jessica competing in her quest to greatness, overcoming all obstacles as she becomes a Paralympic legend.
“Upstream” wraps with the supered message and voiceover, “We believe there is hope and strength in all of us.”
Credits
Client Toyota Agency Saatchi & Saatchi, Dentsu Jason Schragger, Keichi Higuchi, chief creative officers; Fabio Costa, executive creative director; Marc d’Avignon, group creative director; Yusong Zhang, Alice Blastorah, associate creative directors, art directors; Britt Wilen, associate creative director, copywriter; Rodrigo Vargas, executive producer; Stephanie Dziczek, sr. producer; Kristen Hosack, sr. music supervisor; Mark Turner, chief strategy officer. Production RadicalMedia Tarsem, director; Jim Bouvet, exec producer; Jeremy Barrett, line producer; Paul Meyers, DP. Production Services AFS Productions, Cape Town, South Africa, and Los Angeles Dale Kushner, Brin Kushner, exec producers. Editorial Final Cut Joe Guest, editor; Suzy Ramirez, exec producer; Ana Orrach, head of production/producer; Evan Bluestein, assistant editor. Telecine Company 3 Jill Bogdanowicz, colorist. VFX Framestore Alex Thomas, creative director; Katharine Buckley, VFX producer; James Razzall, president, advertising, North America; Emily Rawl, James Gemmell, coordinators; Marguerite Cargill, Carlos A. Gomez, Theo Maniatis, Flame artists; JD Yepes, 2D lead; Alexander Osvaldsson, Paul Krist, Michael Miller, Eva Flodstrom, Belinda Chen, Piotr Bednarczyk, 2D artists; Andrew Thompson, Cosku Ozdemir, Kevin Gillen, Kira Yu, Marco Marenghi, Richard Shallcross, Sean Dollins, Soren Barton, Taylor Hodgson-Scott, Todd Herman, Walter Fulbright, CG artists. Music The Elements Music, Santa Monica, Calif. Norman Kim, composer; Kristina Iwankiw, executive music producer. Sound Design LSD, Santa Monica, Calif. Michael Anastasi, sound designer; Kai Paquin, assistant sound designer; Susie Boyajan, exec producer; Kayla Phungglan, sr. producer. Audio Post Lime Studios, Santa Monica, Calif. Matt Miller, mixer; Ian Connie, assistant mix engineer; Susie Boyajan, exec producer; Kayla Phungglan, sr. producer.
Tommy’s, the U.K. pregnancy and baby charity, has unveiled a campaign to raise awareness of the charity’s groundbreaking research to tackle miscarriage and baby loss.
Created with Special London, this is the first work from a new brand strategy and creative platform developed for the charity. The TV and out-of-home campaign uses the shadows and reflections of children at play, set against everyday landscapes. In each execution one child, however, is projected alone, ultimately illustrating the lifelong impact of baby loss.
Inspired by conversations with bereaved adults across the U.K., the campaign is a stark reminder of the preciousness of life and the long-term effect of living with loss. The powerful visuals evoke the profound sense of absence and unrealized potential that people live with after losing a baby.
Half of all UK adults have experienced baby loss or know someone who has. These statistics underscore the widespread nature of baby loss in the U.K.
Directed by Jackie Bao via Biscuit Filmworks, this spot features the reflections of a child in water, with a parent calling out as the youngster plays in puddles.
Special’s chief creative officer David Day, said, “Like a lot of people, I didn’t realize how much pregnancy loss touches so many of us. In fact it’s so prevalent it’s become normalized and those affected are made to feel like it’s just one of those things that happens; which has led to expectant mothers and partners having to deal with such hurt alone. That’s why Tommy’s exists, to give a voice, support and through research change our perception to make pregnancy loss less of the norm.
“It’s a delicate subject and raising awareness needs an equally delicate touch,” continued Day.... Read More
